The Dancer
by ScribbleSongs
Summary: Lyra had to dance. This was her punishment, and she knew she deserved it. I would say more, but it is better the less you know about it. Rated T for "darker" themes, aka, to be safe.


_**This short story was inspired by Lindsey Sterling's Shatter Me. I would encourage you to listen to it while you read this, because i feel like it adds a little bit of depth to the story.**_

 ** _I hope that you all like this story, because i really love this story in my head, and surprisingly on paper too! Now that you have clicked on this, the darker themes is suicide and torture. So if you get ooged out by that kinda stuff, then, get over it and read this anyway._**

 ** _JK! Don't shoot! It does have those things in it, but i made it as least descriptive as possible, so it really isn't that bad. But again, don't read this if you don't want to._**

 ** _Well, i am just rambling now, so i will shut up and let you get on with the story._**

 ** _Read and (hopefully) enjoy!_**

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 _Don't stop. You know what will happen if you do. Keep going. Don't stop._

 _I have to. I can't go anymore. I have to stop…_

 _NO! You have to keep going! Please don't stop… The pain is even worse if you don't keep going._

 _I can't go any longer. I'm sorry, I have to stop. I can't go any longer…_

Lyra tried to call out for help, to yell, to scream something, but she couldn't even make the smallest whimper. But the pain was still there. They were right when they had said she would feel as if she'd never felt pain before.

 _You deserve this…_ She heard a voice say. She wished she could tell the voice that she had done nothing that would make this torture excusable, but she knew it was right. She did deserve this.

To the very last leap, she deserved this.

A loud crash rang though the halls as the two boys fought and played with one another.

"Boys, stop making such a ruckus. It's time to sleep." A beautiful woman put a hand on both boys' shoulders, causing them to break apart. Soon came the all too familiar response.

"But where're not tired mother! We don't want to sleep just yet," retorted the eldest.

"Will you tell us a story if we go to sleep?" The younger of the two looked up at their mother with hopeful eyes.

"Brother! Do not give her more reason to send us to bed!" At this the two brothers started wrestling again, only as young boys can.

The woman merely chucked light heartedly. "My boys… What am I to do with you?" Making her way over to the pair, the woman grabbed them both by the hands and led them to the sofa.

"Now," she gave the eldest a stern expression. "I expect you two to get some sleep tonight, but," she then looked over at her younger son and gave him a smile. "If you both promise to rise on time to-morrow, then I will tell you a story."

"Yes Mother! I will, I promise!" The younger looked up at her with a longing expression.

"Is it a story of battle and war? One of father's great adventures?" The eldest loved stories of war, and epic battle's between monsters and knights.

"Not quite my love, but it a great adventure indeed. It all began with a girl named Lyra—"

"A girl!? I don't want to hear a story about a girl! I might as well sleep now so I don't die from boredom!" The eldest stomped off to his room leaving his mother and younger brother alone.

The woman let out a small sigh. "Well, at least he is getting his rest." She looked down to see her younger son with his big blue eye's pleading with her.

"I still want to hear a story mother! Please tell me." The woman cradled her son into her arms and once again began her story.

"Once there was a girl named Lyra, and her beauty made her stand like a rose in a swamp. But, though she was of divine beauty, she wasn't known for this reason. You see, the fair maiden could dance like a leaf in the wind, and leave all around her breathless."

"Where did she learn to dance Mother?"

"No one knew. The only thing they knew about her was her dancing was the most beautiful in all the land. But what they also didn't know about her, was that she knew magic."

"Magic?" The boy started smiling at this. While his brother's favored stories were those of bloodshed, his were of mystical creatures and sorcerers.

"Yes my love. Magic. While she could summon it to wipe out an army, she never used it. Not for good, not for bad, for she was afraid of her powers."

"Why was she afraid?"

Looking down at her son with sad eye's, the woman let out a sigh. "Are you sure you want to hear the rest of the story?"

"But of course Mother! You just began. Please finish! What happened?"

"When she was just learning to use her powers one night, she made a mistake: a fatal mistake that cost Lyra her family. After that night, she and her sister were the only ones left, and Lyra danced to keep the two off the streets. They were still able to move on and be happy even though it was just the two of them, but one day, Lyra awoke and couldn't find her sister. She searched everywhere. All around the town, her village, but couldn't find her."

The boy let out a gasp and put his hands over his mouth. His eyes were wide as he waited in anticipation for his mother to continue.

"When she returned home after a fruitless search, Lyra found a note. The note read, 'I have a deal. I know of your powers, young dancer, and I will not release you beloved sister until you have done something for me.' The note then instructed her to destroy his enemies."

"Then what happened? Who were his enemies?"

"She did as he said, but his enemies were all the people from her kingdom. Every one she knew she would have to destroy it she wanted her sister to live. She loved her sister too much. She knew that the cost of losing everyone over one person made no sense and was selfish, but she had already lost the rest of her family due to her powers. She wasn't going to let her sister come to the same fate. She saved her sister, but the King quickly found out what had happened, and had the dancer arrested. Lyra knew she would never see her sister again, but at least she was alive. When she came to the king for judgment, she didn't defend herself; she knew what she had done was wrong, and unforgivable. The king told her that she was to remain in prison for the rest of her days for killing millions of innocent lives. He told her she would be bound up forever, and she would never dance again. Only then did Lyra plead with the king when he said her dancing was to be taken away. She told him that she would endure any punishment he bestowed upon her but to please not take her dancing away."

"Why didn't the king forgive her? She was only doing it to save her sister!" The young boy protested.

"What was to say she wouldn't use her powers to kill again?"

The boy opened his mouth to say something but then closed it, letting the protest die. "But what happened to her?"

"The king told her that if it was dancing that she wanted, it would be dancing she would get. Lyra's punishment was that she would become immortal, and she would dance for the rest of her life. She would never stop to eat nor sleep. She had a magical gag placed on her mouth so she could mutter a word, and he placed a cruel guard with her so that if she stopped dancing, he would make sure she would start again. The king sent Lyra somewhere no one would ever find her, and cast a spell across the land to make everyone forget of the tragedy, and so no one would hunt her down to use her powers again."

The boy looked crushed. "Poor Lyra. Was she ever found?" The woman could see a spark of hope in her son's eyes.

"No. She was never found. It is said that even to this day she still dances, never stopping." The small hope in the boy's eyes left as soon as it came.

"But, it is also said that someday, if someone can find her, she will be set free from her chains, and live once again."

The boy looked up at his mother, the joy returning again to his eyes. "I'll find her mother! I will break her chains. Just you wait, I'll find her!"

"I'm sure you will. Now off to bed you. Be sure to be quite for your brother." The young boy went off to his room, and when he dreamt that night, he dreamt of finding the dancer.

Lyra leaped though the air as she heard the people give a loud 'Ahh!' She was inside a small theater right now, preforming in front of . She didn't know how long she would stay at this location. She didn't care. It was one of the nicer places she had been, but seeing as if she stopped she would be tortured, the location where she danced didn't matter.

She didn't even know how this curse worked. One moment she would be twirling in a pub, while the next she was dancing in front of frost giants. All she knew was that somehow she was teleporting around. She wondered what it looked like to an onlooker. Did she just vanish? Did she take the place of another dancer? She didn't know. She had given up the puzzle centuries ago. Such a clever trick the king had played. Hide her from everyone, but in plain sight.

Looking around her surrounding Lyra spotted a few children, most of which were little girls. One of them had long blond hair and rich brown eyes. Lyra slowed down to get a better look at her, but soon after fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs. She hadn't danced fast enough. Now she was paying for it. She would never get used to the searing pain. Some might think after eons of this, one might simply not care anymore. But she did care, for every time she slowed, it felt as if Hell had spawned inside her body, and was ripping her apart from the inside.

Lyra struggled to her feet and once more took in her surroundings, searching for the little girl, but to no avail; she had moved once more. She looked to be in some sort of pub, but she couldn't be sure. Everything moved so fast, that it was hard to get any real idea of where she was. Lyra began her dance again.

She flew through the air with grace and landed with complete silence. There didn't seem to be that many people here, and almost none of which were watching her. She started to spin in place. Her feet were once again growing weary, but after that fresh reminder, she didn't think she would stop anytime soon. What she would give to stop. She wouldn't even mind death at this point. She was so exhausted that it didn't matter. Anything to free her from this pain.

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 ** _Thank you so much for reading my story! I hope you liked it!_**

 ** _So this story has gone back and forth in my mind about being a multi chap, or one-shot, and some people say the former, and others say the ladder. So, i came to the decision that this will remain a one-shot unless i get a bunch of people saying they want more to it. I will say though, even if by some miracle people like this that much, i can't promise the follow up will be any good. I tried and failed._**

 ** _That's all for now folks!  
Thanks for tuning in._**

 ** _~Talent_**


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